People use recreational vehicles having ground engaging wheels such as campers, motor homes and the like for travel and work purposes and many live in such vehicles throughout the entire year.
As is generally well known, such recreational vehicles are often parked on less than desirable ground surfaces which become wet and muddy during rainy weather. While awnings are commonplace on campers, mobile homes, motor homes and fifth wheel RVs, they offer limited protection from such ground condition, particularly, in preventing people from carrying dirt, mud and debris into the vehicle.
Furthermore, the ground surface that the vehicle must park on may not be leveled causing difficulties in placing and using outdoor cooking devices and outdoor furniture.
Additionally, difficulties exist for disabled people to ingress and egress such recreational vehicle as well as to comfortably enjoy its surrounding outdoor environment.
Attempts have been made to compensate for undesirable ground conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,211 to Craves teaches a pivotal patio assembly for a pick-up truck mounted camper that is secured to the camper wall adjacent the door frame in a stowed condition and laterally slides under the door frame in a retracted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,406 to Endsley, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,456 to Bergeson et al. teach a patio assembly for a pick-up truck mounted camper that is mounted for sliding engagement under the rear portion of the camper body to slide thereunder in a position of non-use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,057 to Pauli teaches a retractable patio assembly for a recreational vehicle having ground engaging wheels which is pivotable to a stowed position parallel to a vehicle wall and laterally displaced from the use position to allow free door access. A complex movable pair of leg members is provided to compensate for sloping or uneven ground surfaces, however, the design does not compensate for the vehicle being affected by such slopped or uneven ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,467 to King teaches a hinged modular patio assembly that is mounted for sliding engagement under the recreational vehicle having ground engaging wheels. A pair of inclined roller tracks is provided in the support members attached to the under surface. The patio platform has a means attached to each end of the rear to carry a roller which engages such inclined roller track.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,878 to Weaver teaches a hinged modular patio assembly mounted for sliding engagement beneath the recreational vehicle during transport. The ramp is moved between the stowed and deployed position by a belt and pulley system powered by a reversible motor. In deployed position the platform is disposed flush against the ground surface. A ramp is provided for wheelchair access to the platform.
While the patio assemblies presently in use provide some protection from the undesirable ground condition, they fail adequately to address compensation from sloped or uneven ground surface conditions.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved patio assembly for a recreational vehicle that addresses the aforementioned disadvantages.